The Eastern Seaboard’s Automotive Focus Group
(AFG)
held their first meeting this year at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
Dr. Iain Corness
The Eastern Seaboard’s Automotive Focus Group (AFG) held their first
monthly meeting for 2010 at the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya’s function rooms.
Now with around 60 members as at the end of 2009, the AFG does represent a
sizable voice locally.
Under the leadership of Mike Diamente (Dana), the AFG has grown in numbers,
though the members present at the first meeting suggested that the group
should attempt to expand even further to take in even more of the automotive
manufacturers and parts and associated companies.
Regular attendees Armin Walter, George Strampp, Uli Kaiser, Alain
Duerwaerder (Katoen Natie) and Varadan Devenathan (Visteon) led discussions
on the expansion, joined by Randy Simmons (CHS Asia), Bob Franklin (Autoliv)
and new member Jeff Kinane (Visteon).
Logistics was found to be a topic which interested many of the members after
the questionnaire sent out in 2009, but the top topic was Labor Relations.
With the on-going disputes and increasingly active labor unions, this will
be a priority topic for 2010.
Following the business meeting, the members continued with social networking
with beer and wine supplied by the AFG and finger food from the hospital’s
Sodexo catering.
